Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1887-03-10
The Dock-Street extension OF the
Dnnyiile Railroad Track.

To The Editor Of the Dispatch
in recent interesting interview re-
ported in the Atlanta Constitution
General II. NJ. Logan, the vice-presi-
dent Of the consolidated lines of the
Richmond and Danyille railroad, said
of the future of that system 81 think
it is very bright. The Terminal COM
pany, which is the controlling power
now, has forty-fve hundred miles Of
railroad covering the Piedmont region,
undoubtedly the best part of thiscoun-
try. It's business is continually grow
ing. Our territory is fully protected
at every point. The purchase of the
East tennessee and Virginia system has
given us an immense advantage. For
example: Up to this time the East
Tennessee road has delivered TO the
Norfolk and Western road at Bristol
$500, eco worth of business per annum
which was taken to Norfolk and sent
North. This enormous trdDc ,CCShaH
nog djucrt at Woyrist0WR, carry IL
0r0' the western NORTH Carolina
(Which agc cOatrOt), and popr IL orr
hc RichmCnd and DGnUiUe TO NeW
York." Is this enormous traffic, es-
timatcd at over a half a million
dollars, to pass through our city
to West Point without an effort on our
pant to divert any portion of it for ship
ment at this port? Why will all this
freight go to West Point, village with
none of the advantages which large
city posse sses, and pass through Rich
mond with all her commercial means ?
1t is due solely to the through. freight
facilities which West Point has and
Richmond has not. The meeting of
the cars carrying the freight and the
vessels to be loaded at deep water is
rapidly building up West Point, and
that, too, largely at the expense of Rich
mond. Is every proposition that seeks
to overcome this want to be constantly
defeated, or are our people going to
prove themselves capable of Selling
that great opportunity by giving to one
of our six cOnverging railroads the ex-
tension of it's track to deep water, so
that it may be able TO handle portion
at least Of this through business at
The proposition now be-
fore our Council is TO allow the extern
sion of the Richmond and Danville
track to deep water, where it viii meet
the Clyde Line, which does a large
business with interior points
reached by the Danville system. An
upon this business has
existed, because all through
freight has to break bulk at this point
and to be drayed across the city, thus
causing delay of from twelve totwenty-
four hours always fatalto competition),
and to this is added a charge for dray-
age, which is not made at any other
point. The Danville road has informed
the Clyde Line that it must do its bust
ness at some other point where these
will not be incurred
Thus the last of our through-steamship
lines Will be driven to either West Point,
Norfolk, or Wilmington. But if the
extension of the track is granted the
facilities which it will give this steam
ship company for handling its through
freight viii enable it not only to con-
tinuc doing its present business ut this
point, but Will also divert a large pOr-
ton OF this increased business of the
Danville system to Richmond. Knox
vile and other points along the Viz
cinia and Tennessee railroad do n large
with Philadelphia, which now
goes to Norfolk, and istransferredb the
Norfolk and Western road. 1t will here
after be shipped from Philadelphia TO
Richmond and thence by the Danville
system if this extension Of track is grant
ed. Let our businessmen urge upon the
Council the importance Of reaching out
after this trade, and the necessity of at
once putting Richmond on an equal
footing with West Point and Norfolk
in regard to through -freight facilities,
and Of beginning to utilize our river,
for the deepening of which the city has
spent half a million of her own money
and is asking Congress tospend millions
more. The most powerful argument
now used by Richmond's rivals against
the appropriation of money by Con-
gress for the deepening of James river
Is the fact that none of her railroads
converge on deep water. Let us begin
to remedy this defect in our business
methods by granting the extension of
this track to deep water, and thus pre-
vent the forcing away of the Clyde
Lire and draw to Richmond that in
crease of trade which the extension of
her greatest system of roads entities her
to expect, but which she cannot ac-
quire unless the cars and vessels meet
on the banks of the James. The bust
ness that will thus be done with Knox
Vile alone--the distributing point for
The whole East Tennessee country-will
in twelve months pay to our labOrers
more than twice as much as they now
earn from the drayage of the goods be-
tween the wharves of the Clyde Line
and the depot of the Richmond AMI
Danville. Il.
March 9. 1887.
rhe Recent Decision of the Supreme
Court of ihe United states ian Re-
,ard 10 fTtq Tax ON DfunmerS